Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-06-23
No. 80

damages. The dispute about the island of
San Juan, IN the channel between Nancou-
vers island and Oregon, was referred to the
Emperor of Germany, who decided that it
belonged to the United States, whereupon
the British evacuated it. In the early part of
1861 the queens mother, the Duchess of Kent,
died, and on Dec. 1G that year she lost her
husband.
The American war was soon followed by
the Fenian troubles III Ireland, largely eX-
cited by Irish-Americans, veterans of our
war and these continued at short intervals
for several years. In 1870 the Protestant
church establishment in Ireland was
abolished, chiefly by the exertons of Mr..
Gladstone. and since Jan. l. 1871, the tithes
for that church have not been collected. In
1S10-1, also, the elementary education acts
were put in force in England and Wales, by
which parents are compelled to school their
children between ) and Is years of age. In
1872 voting by ballot was established. In
1874 Mr.. Gladstone and the Wings went out of
power and Mr.. Disrael became prime minister,
with Tory or Conservative government,
and soon after began the heated struggle over
Irish affairs, which is just now i'll its most ex-
citing stage. Meanwhile, i'll 1868, had oc-
Cured the war with Abyssinia, i'll which Sir
Robert Napier, with 10000 men, captured
King Theodore's capital, the king committing
suicide And now England became still fur
ther complicated with the affairs of Egypt
and the east. On May /, 1876 at the in
stance Of the premier, Queen Victoria was
proclaimed empress of India, and on Aug. Is
Mr. Disraeli was raised to the peerage for his
services, becoming Lord Beaconsfield. Sir
Stafford Northcote succeeded him as leader
of the house of commons.
All this time the eastern question:" so
called, continued to agitate Europe and em-
barrass the rulers of England; Lord Sails
bury and Sir Henry Elliot represented Eng
land at a conference held with other great
powers at Constantnople, but nothing was
settled. In 1876 there was war between
Turkey and some of her rebeious Christian
subjects led by Servia, and on April "a 1877,
Russia once more declared war against
Turkey After some preliminary defeats the
Russians swept all before them, and their
armies were almost within sight of Constan-
tinople when England interposed. Bismarck
invited the great powers to a conference,
which met at Berlin. Lord Beaconsfield re-
presenting England, and adopted the treaty
of Berlin June Is, 1873.
By this treaty the Christian subjects of the
SulIttll NCiC SCI q ttSitV VI SCH SON IL
ment; but other troubles bave followed, as
these diverse Christian races agree in moth
ing but dread and hatred of the Turks The
Sav and the Greek, the Serb and the Bull
garian, the Roumanian and Montenegran
distrust and despise each other, while all of
them persecute the Israelite. So the in
trigaes of Russia and the uneasiness of Eng
land continue and the year 1887 brings us
renewed uncertainty OH the eastern ques-
ton, the morning paper confidently predict
ing war when the evening paper had given
cheerful assurance of peace. In 1879 occurred
the Zulu war, in South Africa made notable
by the death of the Prince Imperial, only son
OF Napoleon III [ and Eugene, who volunteered
in a quarrel not his own, and died in tho
desert by the spear of barbarian. His
father, captured by the Prussians in 1870,
died in exile at Chselhurst, England, in Janu-
ary, 1873; and Eugene, for twenty years en-
press and leader of fashion for the civilized
world, IS now passing an old age i'll Obscurity,
a childless widow.
In Ireland, also, there is renewed trouble.
The tenants have formed league and COM
bined to fight for lower rents, and after
assuming protean phases, the contest is Just
now threatening to become civil war; The
Tories now in power in the British parliament
propose a system of severe coercion, which is
resisted by Gladstone and the Liberals; and
the contest is shaking the kingdom. In all
other parts the empire is at peace, and the
rivival of trade gives promise of general con-
tent for this year of jubilee